Wall Pod Pots, 11-8-14

I am working on a series of wall pod pots....kind of a hemisphere with a flat back side that will hang on the wall and look like the outside of one of my bowls.  All will have organic or earthy textures and I will experiment with stain and glaze on the outside.  I will be documenting the process of making these.  Something new from an old standby!

2.5" pod with hammered and dot texture

4.5" pod with dot and fossil texture

6.5" pod with gourd texture

8.5" pod with rock texture

15" pod with worm wood texture

completed series ready for slow drying

All of these pots are in their wet stage and since they are very thin to keep the weight down, they will need to be dried extremely slowly.  There will be 10-20% shrinkage from the size they are when they are wet to their completed stoneware state.

side view of wall pod pot.  The flat bottom completely covers the back side of the bowl and wraps around the bowl's edge creating the pod look to these pieces and it adds contrast to the textured bowl.

The flat back of the pod is signed and dated and a slot is carved into this side for hanging.  This is done when they are wet.  When the pods are leather hard, these slots will be cleaned and an added notch will be carved in the bottom center of the slot to allow a nail head to be slid into the slot for hanging.

Watch for more photos to be added as the stages of the pods progress through drying, bisque firing, staining, glazing, and the final stoneware, cone 6 firing.

Completed consignment--8 pieces, hemisphere pods with complete back.  Each textured differently, stained with glaze accents. Largest piece is 15" across, smallest is 2.5" across.

Largest pod, 15" across.  hand built ceramic sculpture.

8.5", 6.5", and 4.5" pods

8.5", 6.5", 2.5" pods.

8.5" and 6.5" pod.

back of pod showing hanging system.

Colby Community College Workshop, November 7, 2014

On Friday, November 7th, 2014, Rebel Jay, art instructor at Colby Community College, hosted a workshop on creativity that I developed a couple years ago, based on my Spirit paintings.  Fifteen people showed up at 9am for a day filled with fun and creativity, learning how to let go of inhibitions and the fear of doing something 'wrong', and remembering what it was like when one was five years old with a new box of crayons and a piece of paper......the joy of creating filling one's heart.  Others came and went throughout the day as well as a few visitors how stopped in to see what was going on.  

Rebel Jay on left with several from the class at the end of the day.

Some of the group's work.

Sarah working on her backgrounds.

Marlene showing the class her technique.

Bev trying a print texture.

Jill was visiting from Dallas and decided to give the workshop a try.  

Marilyn tried all the techniques.

Deb with her finished piece.

Barry demonstrating his new scraping technique.

Suzanne trying the scraped acrylic technique.

Natalie with her completed design.

Ruthie with her completed background.

Barbara with her completed design.

Marilyn and Barbara watching three year old Jaya showing the class how to do it!

Jaya's completed design.

Spirit of the Glory of Fall

I completed a new Spirit painting today, October 14, 2014.....the Spirit of the Glory of Fall.  October is my very favorite month of the year so this is in honor of all the glorious colors, scents, textures and sense of well being that comes with this beautiful time of year.  A feeling of fruition, of a 'job well done', of celebration and thanksgiving comes with this time of year.  May you experience all the blessings of the spirit of this season.

Mixed media collage, scraped acrylic, acrylic detailing, pastel, hand made stamps, paper and cheese cloth collage, 16"x20".  

Detail of cheese cloth petals.

Hand Built Ceramic Sculpture 9-2014

I'm trying a few new things in my ceramic sculpture.  I am still retaining the simple, primitive forms, but I'm trying to make the bowls MUCH thinner...not always conducive to hand built ceramics, but when it works, I think it brings something special to the piece.  I'm trying a few new forms and adding some brighter colors just for fun.  Hope you enjoy the new pieces.

Large Bowl with Wood, approx 18" across pot

Large Bowl with Wood, view 2

Large Bowl with Wood, view 3

Small Bowl with Geometric texture with Red Accents, approx 8"

Small Bowl with Geometric texture with Red Accents, view of outside texture

Small Blue Bowl with Incised Detail, approx 8"

Inside view of Small Blue Bowl with Incised Detail

View of incised detail

Small Pod Pot on Wood, front view, approx 9" tall

Small Pod Pot on Wood, back view

Colored Spirit Ball, 3"

Hanging triangular bird feeder; stained textured outside, white glaze inside, approx. 10" sides.

Hanging pod pot, green smooth side, approx. 9".

Same hanging pod pot with textured side showing.  This texture was made from a mold I made of the texture left by elk's teeth scraping the bark off of Aspen trees in Colorado.

Mini hand built pot, 3" tall.

Mini hand built pot, 2" tall.

Pod pot on Slate, approx 5" tall.

Spirit of the Stream, 9-2-2014

After visiting Colorado for a week and getting deep into the forrest, I had to try to capture the magic of the creeks and streams that were so numerous this year.  The light/shadow; textures of moss, rocks/pebbles, logs; and the QUIET………………..except for the soft burbling of the stream……like it was whispering to me……like hearing God in church.........those were the things I wanted to capture and communicate to the viewer.  

So I wanted something that felt big but small, if that makes any sense.  The forrest was SO deep and HUGE but around the creeks, it was like the forrest was enveloping me in a hug, soft, quiet, warm and yet cool breezes caressing my skin.  That is why the Spirit is small in proportion to the whole painting.  I knew I didn’t want her to dominate as in some of my other paintings, why I wanted her transparent, almost not there, quietly caressing the water, barely making a ripple.  Is she really there, or will the bubble burst and it will all be just imagination and wishing?  

Hope you feel the quiet of the forrest, the cool water, warm sun, and most of all, the peace of the Spirit of the Stream.

Spirit of the Stream, 30"x15", mixed media--acrylic on stretched primed canvas, ink, pastel

Enlargement of the Spirit

Hand Built Ceramic Sculpture, Aug., 2014

I am finally back in my ceramic studio!!!  It feels so good to be working in clay again......it is my first love!  I got to try out the new small Skutt kiln that my husband found for me at an auction for $30.  We figured it had maybe been fired twice!  It works beautifully and will be great for small loads, test firing, testing glazes, etc.  I also have some new glazes which work beautifully with my earthy style.  Here are a few examples of the new pieces.  Keep watching for more updates.

I love working with simple, primitive styles that look like they might be found along a path while walking in the woods or along a river.  So these pieces are all displayed with or on wood or stone pieces to strengthen that feeling of unearthing a treasure.

Handbuilt Ceramic Sculpture by Barbara JO Converse Stevens, August, 2014

approx. 12" across

approx. 8" across

approx. 12" across

Pod pot approx. 10" tall

Spirit Ball....this is taken from an Native American belief that the artist's spirit is captured within the sphere.  One hears the 'spirit' by shaking the sphere and hearing the rattle of the spirit inside.  I love this concept as I feel that  a portion of my spirit is transferred to all of my art pieces, whether it is 3D or 2D.  

Spirit of the Cycle of Life, 6-2-14

Every day I say a prayer for my family, friends and myself that God open our hearts to His love and light, wisdom and grace and His joy.  I have expanded this prayer into the cycles of life as I see it.  I hope you enjoy these new pieces and the message they bring.

Spirit of the Cycle of Life:

These are all four panels making up the Spirit of the Cycle of Life.  There are four 12"x24" panels to create this 24"x48" piece.  It is mixed media with a base of scraped acrylic and layers of acrylic, ink, pastel.

Panel 1:  Love and Light

Notice the dried seed pod in the bottom left corner, scattering the seeds from which the new sprout, surrounded by Light and Love, grows.

Panel 2:  Strength and Confidence

Now the life is full of Strength and Confidence, shining brightly and fulfilling the promise of the first sprout.

Panel 3:  Wisdom and Grace

With age, one hopes, comes Wisdom and Grace, His light still shining through helping to spread the hope of a full and fulfilling life.

Panel 4:  Joy and Peace

Take note of the dried seed pod at the bottom right corner of this panel.  It is spreading the seed with His light and love shining down from the cross, top right corner, to start the new growth of a new generation.